If you are visiting Dublin, one of the places that you have to go see is The Old Library at Trinity College. The ground floor houses The Book of Kells and the upstairs is where you will see The Long Room. It was built in the 18th century and you do feel like you’ve been transported back in time when you enter the Long Room. On the ground floor of the building you will start a self guided tour where you can learn all about The Book of Kells. You can read and walk at your own pace. I enjoyed reading about the different materials that were used to create the various colors in the manuscript. The Book of Kells is a treasure of Ireland. It is a beautiful, colorful and ornate copy of the 4 gospels that dates back to 800 A.D. There is a lot of information to take in before you get to the next room where The Book of Kells is located. The detail in the the manuscript is astounding and really, how often do you get to see a beautiful medieval text?
Once you have seen The Book of Kells there is even more! You will make your way upstairs to The Long Room. It is positively magnificent! The exhibition is home to a large collection of priceless books. Marble busts of famous writers and philosophers line both sides of the room.
You will also see the oldest surviving Gaelic harp in Ireland on display. It is a symbol of Ireland that appears on Euro coins, documents and it is also used by many businesses.
To say that the woodwork in The Long Room is remarkable would be an understatement. The barrel vaulted ceiling is impressive and the room’s splendor will leave you breathless.
When you are done taking in the beauty of The Long Room you will exit downstairs and into the gift shop. I like this gift shop as they have unique items that are specific to The Book of Kells. They aren’t all the same items that you will find in many of the souvenir shops around Dublin.
The exhibition is open 7 days a week and tickets can be purchased either online or at the ticket desk when you arrive. I have been there in January and in July. In July it is a peak tourist time so there are many more people visiting each day and depending on what time you go it will be a longer wait. The online tickets are more convenient during busy times as there are two lines to go inside. The online prepaid tickets allow entry at a certain time and the other line is to wait to get inside and buy tickets at the desk. January was a great time to go as there were very few people and I had no wait to go inside. Whenever you go, it is an experience that is worth the wait!
On your way out of the Library you’ll be close to a bronze sculpture that is an attraction as well. It sits just outside the Berkeley Library. It is one of sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro’s Sphere within a Sphere. There are many versions of this sculpture in different parts of the world. You never know what you may find when you are exploring a new place!
